Women won big at Regional 2, and Juney Raffington, first place winner for the parish of St Ann, was one of eight women who won.

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Female PAN chicken vendors were the big winners at PAN 2017 Regional 2 last Saturday. Of the 14 winners who will advance to the finals, eight were women.

Held at Folly Oval in Portland, the event is the second regional in the CB Foods' annual contest in search of the island's top PAN chicken man or woman.

Despite the rain, patrons came out ready to partake in the fun and excitement, enjoying tasty, specially priced pan chicken served with National hard dough bread, prepared by participants from Kingston and St Andrew, St Ann, St Mary, Trelawny, St Catherine, Portland, and St Thomas.

Adding to the edible offerings were Rainforest Seafoods, Copperwood Pork, and juicy sausages courtesy of Bad Dawg. There was truly something for everyone.

The children were certainly not left out of the mix and flocked the expanded Monster Milk Kiddies Village which included interactive games, bouncers and even a zip line.

FIGHT FOR SUPREMACY

Regional 2 had 35 competitors vying for supremacy. The culinary extravaganza comprised of a live 60-minute cook-off, judged by renowned chefs from the Culinary Federation of Jamaica, with a winner and runner-up selected from each parish to advance to the grand finals.

Kemoi Burke, events and promotions coordinator, CB Foods, expressed, "It was so much more than I had expected. Despite the rain, people came out, the competitors braved the weather, and while conditions weren't perfect, everyone stuck to the task and PAN 2017 Regional 2 was a major success."

Lisa Tomlinson, promotions manager, National Baking Company, was equally happy with the event, revealing, "We came up with a competition for side orders where each side man used our bread (whether bran or white) on the grill to create something innovative and creative. They got the chance to win a first prize of $15,000, while second place won $5,000."

Before the announcement of the winners, the entertainment on stage was guided by comedian and media personality Dufton 'Duffy' Shepherd, and popular disc jock Nico 'BAM BAM' Supreme who engaged patrons throughout the day with various competitions and giveaways from PAN partners.

Gillian Hyde, general manager, JN Small Business Loans, notes that last Saturday's event continues to demonstrate the high level of innovation that exists among our micro entrepreneurs. "We were impressed with their culinary skills and how passionate they were about their profession. As a company dedicated to serving micro, small, and medium enterprises, we are confident that these entrepreneurs have gained from their entry in the competition and will continue to do well. We commend them for showcasing their talents and wish them continued success.

As the night wound down, parish champions were crowned. Judged on a number of elements, including taste, presentation and sanitation, the PAN 2017 Regional 2 winners walked away with $40,000 cash courtesy of CB Foods, along with gift baskets from PAN partners. The runners-up received $20,000 cash, as well as sponsored gift baskets.

The winners in last Saturday's regional round are:

Kingston & St Andrew:

1st Place: Jamie Martin

2nd Place: Shermaine Nelson

St Ann

1st place: Juney Raffington

2nd Place: Eric Beaver

St Mary

1st place: Lance Fairweather

2nd Place: Kareen Johnson

Trelawny

1st place: Jason Franklyn

2nd Place: Donald Williams

St Catherine

1st place: Janice Scarlett

2nd Place: Meisha Wright

Portland

1st place: Carole Maxwell

2nd Place: Oneil Skeen

St Thomas

1st place: Tatrice Balliston

2nd place: Kerisa Wright

PAN partner Miracle Tomato Ketchup once again hosted their Miracle Sauce competition, and Judges made their selection based on the sauce's consistency, flavour, taste, and above all, creativity.

The winners were:

1st place: Jamie Stewart

2nd Place: Eric Beaver

3rd Place: Shermaine Nelson

A total of 28 competitors will compete at the Grand Finals of PAN 2017 on October 29 in Half-Way Tree, Kingston.